Out There
by SelenaEde
Summary: Michael ponders about his desperate need to go outside of the asylum and his new friend Nikkole helps him feel better.


**DISCLAIMAH:** I do not own _Halloween_, nope, not me. I also don't own _Disney_, cause uh yeah, DUH, which means I don't own those lyrics! Imagine that! Lol.

**NOTE:** Ok, Same as the other stories of mine, you don't like lyrics being in here, tell me and I make them go away. Also, the lyrics are to the song _Out There_ (um, duh, lol) which is in _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ the Disney version, although I changed them a wee bit to make it fit. XD

**Out There**

_**The world is cruel, The world is wicked, It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city, I am your only friend, I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you, I who look upon you without fear, How can I protect you, boy, unless you, Always stay in here, Away in here**_

I don't even know why I'm in here. Dr. Loomis says it's cause I'm crazy. Apparently I killed my sister, her boyfriend, a bully and my step-dad, but I don't remember any of that! At all! I swear. It's insane. I don't remember any of it. I remember being upset about not being able to go trick-or-treating and then I pull a blank. After that I just remember sitting on the porch with Baby Boo, or Little Laurie as mummy calls her, and mummy screaming. Then I was questioned by the police and taken here, to the asylum. To my own personal hell. And now I'm stuck here. Alone. In here.

**_Remember what I taught you, Michael, You are psycho_**:

**I am psycho **

_**And you are ugly**_

**And I am ugly**

_**And these are crimes, For which the world, Shows little pity, You do not comprehend**_

I'm not allowed to leave. I've begged and begged and begged but I'm still not allowed out there. Dr. Loomis always gives me some stupid reason or another. You're not ready. You have an appointment. You just can't. They won't let you. And of course, most recently, the public is against you. I could barely understand the last one so Nikkole had to help me. She's very smart for a nine year old.

They tell me I'm crazy, but I swear I'm not. I must have had one of those breakdown thingies Nikkole told me about. But I'm not crazy! But I know one thing is for sure. If I can't go out sometime soon, I will be.

**You are my one defender**

_**Out there they'll revile you, As a monster**_

**I am a monster**

_**Out there they will hate, And scorn and jeer**_

**Only a monster**

I have to get out of here. I have to leave now. I must get out there. I can't spend one more day in here. The hardly let me socialize. I'm lucky to see Nikkole once every other day. This is insane! Please let me go out! Let me see Baby Boo! Let me see my mummy! My house! Out side! Let me be out there! Let me go back! I'll be good I promise! Or if you won't do that at least let me see Nikkole, she's my only friend here! My only friend… and they hardly let us see each other… please… please… I swear I don't even remember any of it… please…

_**Why invite their calumny, And consternation? Stay in here, Be faithful to me**_

**I'm faithful **

_**Grateful to me **_

**I'm grateful**

_**Do as I say, Obey, And stay, In here**_

**I'll stay, In here**

I have finally resigned. I know I'll never win. I'll never go back out there. But that doesn't stop me from asking. I ask everyday. But I've lost hope along the way that I will ever get out. I think that Dr. Loomis thinks I'm bad or evil or something, but I don't think I am. I don't think Nikkole thinks I am. I miss her.

I hear the door open and close and footsteps approach.

"Hello Michael," Dr. Loomis says.

"Can I go out there today?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"You can't go out there today Michael," Dr. Loomis says. "I'm sorry."

"Oh," I mutter.

"But," Dr. Loomis starts. "How would you like to see Nikkole today?"

I perk up at the thought. I haven't seen Nikkole in four days. It's been so long.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes," Dr. Loomis laughs. "After session today you can see her."

"Oh boy!" I cry out, all signs of depression gone in an instant. I really like Nikkole. She's my best friend.

Dr. Loomis chuckles and we go through session as usual, only I am much happier. Once session is done I start bouncing around. I'm so excited.

"Can I see her now Dr. Loomis? Huh? Can I?"

Dr. Loomis smiles at me.

"Soon Michael."

Soon is half an hour. He has to record his stuff or something boring like that. I'm so impatient. I want to see Nikkole now…

As soon as Dr. Loomis is finished and he opens the door I'm running excitedly down the hallway to the common room. I have the path memorized. It's my second favorite place in this hell. The first is in the garden.

"Michael!" Dr. Loomis laughs from somewhere behind me. "Slow down!"

I ignore him and I burst excitedly through the doors and glance around. I spot Nikkole's long light brown hair first and grin excitedly. I then walk over to where the girl is sitting.

_**Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone, Gazing at the people down below me, All my life I watch them as I hide up here alone, Hungry for the histories they show me, All my life I memorize their faces, Knowing them as they will never know me, All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day, Not above them, But part of them**_

I sit down across from her and she looks up from a picture she's drawing. She's really good at drawing for a nine-year-old. I'm a year older than her and I can't draw as good.

Her eyes light up when she sees me and she smiles a big smile.

"Michael!" she calls out.

"Nikki!" I call back, using my nickname for her. I'm always unusually happy and playful around her. Dr. Loomis has commented on it before.

Nikkole leaves her seat across from me and runs up behind me and gives me a big hug.

"Get off," I command. She looks up at me startled, but let's go. I see Dr. Loomis watching us, his usual expression on his face.

I then look at Nikkole and do what I had intended to do in the first place. I pull her close in a big hug and laugh. She laughs too and hugs back.

"Where you been?" she asks curiously.

"I've been in session," I explain.

"Oh," she looks down then back up. "For four days?"

"Yeah," I admit. "Loomis said I had too or something."

"Oh," Nikkole says. "Well I'm glad your back."

"Me too," I smile.

We play for hours and laugh and have fun as only best friends can. The Dr. Loomis takes me away and Dr. Milano takes her away. I hope I can see her again tomorrow.

_**And out there, Living in the sun, Give me one day out there, All I ask is one, To hold forever**_

There's another session today. I wait patiently in my room for Dr. Loomis to come in. Soon he does.

"Hello, Michael," he greets me.

"Hi Dr. Loomis," I actually greet him back this morning. He seems surprised.

"How was your sleep?" he asks.

"It was ok. Dr. Loomis…" I start but he interrupts me.

"I'm sorry Michael, but you can't go out there today either," Dr. Loomis says.

"Oh," I say. "Well ok then, but that's not what I was going to ask."

Dr. Loomis looks surprised again.

"I was going to ask if I could see Nikkole again today," I explain, hopeful. Dr. Loomis smiles.

"Of course you can Michael," Dr. Loomis says. I'm excited again. "After session."

After session and after Dr. Loomis records all his stuff, I turn to him.

"Dr. Loomis?"

"Yes Michael?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything, Michael."

"Dr. Loomis, why is Nikkole here? I mean I'm here because you say I murdered people, but why is she here?"

"Well, Michael, Nikkole is pretty odd. She has done many odd things, but people think she's suicidal."

"Suicidal?"

"Yes Michael, she wants to hurt herself."

"You mean, like, kill herself?"

"Yes Michael."

"I don't believe it!" I announce angrily. "Nikki is too happy and bouncy and bubbly and loving and she would never ever try to kill anyone, let alone herself!"

Dr. Loomis smiles at me.

"Come Michael," Dr. Loomis says. "Let's go see Nikkole."

I'm still excited. I'm upset that people can think that about Nikkole, but I'm excited to see her anyways.

Once again I rush off to see her.

_**Out there, Where they all live unaware, What I'd give, What I'd dare, Just to live one day out there**_

I find her and give her another hug. After our greetings we play some more. After while I ask her to draw me something. She says ok and sets to work. As she works I gaze at her. She notices my stare.

"What is it Michael?" she asks.

"Nikki," I start. "Did you try and kill yourself?"

"That's what they say," she shrugs.

"But you don't know?" I ask.

"I don't think I did," Nikkole says. "But they think I did. So maybe I did."

"So your like me?" I ask.

"Yeah. They told you that you did something but you don't remember. They told me I did something but I don't remember. So yeah," she nods.

"Wow," I say and let her continue working. I stare out the window and sigh.

"What's wrong Michael?" she asks, concerned.

"Nikki, do you ever want to go out there?" I ask.

"Yeah," she sighs too and nods.

"Do you think we'll ever be allowed to?" I ask.

"I'm sure we will. And when we do, we'll walk out there together." She nods, smiling. How could they think she'd try to kill herself?

"Nikki?" I ask.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"Do you promise?"

"Promise what Michael?"

"That we'll be together out there?"

"I don't make a promise unless I can keep it."

"Oh, so that's a no huh?"

"No Michael, that's an I promise." She smiles. I can't help myself; I smile back. She's just made it better.

She continues her work and I hope she can finish it before we go back to our rooms. We talk about nothing in particular as she works. Soon Dr. Milano comes up and tells her she has to go. We look at each other sadly. I give her a hug and she walks away.

_**Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives, Through the roofs and gables I can see them, Ev'ry day they shout and scold and go about their lives, Heedless of the gift it is to be them, If I was in their skin, I'd treasure ev'ry instant**_

I watch Nikkole as she is being walked back to her room. Nikkole stops in front of Dr. Loomis and says something to him. He looks at her with sad eyes and says something back.

I sit by myself for a few more minutes until Dr. Loomis comes and says it's time to leave. I'm so absorbed in my thoughts about Nikkole that I forget my picture.

"Michael, don't forget your drawing," Dr. Loomis says and I grab it. Dr. Loomis smiles at me.

I resume my thoughts. I have decided that I love Nikkole and when we grow older, I'm gonna ask her to marry me. That's what I'll do. Yep.

When we reach my room I turn to Dr. Loomis.

"Dr. Loomis?" I ask.

"Yes Michael?" he asks back.

"What did Nikkole say to you when she was leaving today?"

"Michael, your little friend said to me, 'You should let Michael go out there. He doesn't belong here. He's not crazy like the rest of us or at least I don't think so.' And I smiled and said 'No, he's not like the rest of them Nikkole. But he is like you.' And she smiled and continued on her way." Dr. Loomis explained.

I smiled and he left for a while.

I looked down at the drawing I had in my hand. Nikkole had drawn me a picture of her and me and we were outside. We were out there. I smile. Suddenly I don't need to be out there as badly. Suddenly out there isn't as important. Suddenly I am just fine in here.

_**Out there, Strolling by the Seine, Taste a morning out there, Like ordinary men, Who freely walk about there, Just one day and then, I swear I'll be content, With my share, Won't resent, Won't despair, Old and bent, I won't care, I'll have spent, One day, Out there**_

**Le Fin.**


End file.
